Grandview Passivhaus is a new build in Torquay, Victoria, shaped around the area’s relaxed, surf-friendly lifestyle and delivered to an uncertified Passivhaus standard. The brief called for something special for a young family on a modest budget, with comfort and material integrity treated as non-negotiables.

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Re-used Australian hardwood from the former home brings immediate warmth and history, while sightlines through the living spaces stay connected to native and edible gardens. Morning and midday light fills the open-plan area, then the home’s orientation and surrounding trees help temper the afternoon sun, supporting a cooler, calmer ambience as the day shifts. A mid-century modern sensibility runs through the interiors, with spaces flowing into one another and tied together by a central spine wall clad in reclaimed floorboards, renewed by the client.

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Triple-glazed OPTIWIN spruce windows support this performance-led approach, helping to maintain stable indoor conditions while keeping the natural expression of timber front and centre.

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All Pictures: ©APHI Projects/Tim Loft